I’m back from Chicago, dear friends, and the extra pounds were unfortunately not in my luggage. It’s really difficult to refrain from eating all the yummy foods during this holiday season…I do try not to take seconds, but I don’t always succeed. If any of you have a great plan to keep unwanted weight off, please share. (the tips…not the weight!)

It turned out to be a working vacation…for my daughter-in-law, that is. She’s so thrilled about my picture books that will be launching next year. “You are a picture book writer,” she said. “You are full of fun and your website needs to reflect that!” And so she made the magic happen and the new banner is the result – featuring characters from two of my 2019 debut picture books, PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE illustrated by the fabulous Jill Weber and FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK illustrated by the talented Mirka Hokkanen, are frolicking around me! There is still more to do (I have to figure out how to put my social media buttons and email signup back – any WordPress savvy techies out there, please don’t hesitate to chime in)…but I am EXCITED for the NEW LOOK! Please comment below and let me know what you think.

I also wanted to catch up on blog giveaways. This has been an amazing year with generous guests who donated books and critiques…I’m grateful for every one of these wonderful authors and illustrators!

Brian Lies donated a copy of ROUGH PATCH. And the winner is…Lisa Furness.

Brian also donated aa copy of GOT TO GET TO BEAR’S. And the winner is…Cathy Ogren.

Sherry Howard donated a Picture Book Critique. And the winner is…Katie Walsh.

Lisa Amstutz donated a Critique of a PB manuscript or 1st 10 pages of a novel. And the winner is…Julie Campbell.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!! I will be contacting you all shortly to arrange for prize distribution.

Meanwhile, the next couple of weeks will be busy ones. I’m revising one nonfiction picture book manuscript and completely reworking another. Plus I’ve got several guest blog posts that need to be finished. I attended Arree Chang’s Black Friday Bootcamp, although because I was inflight for most of it, I’ll be watching the replay ASAP. I’ve got a video interview with Katie Davis on Monday, my inperson critique group meets on Friday, and that brings us to DECEMBER…and when that calendar page turns, we will be in 2019. And honestly, I can hardly wait!

My goals for next year are to continue writing and supporting other writers as much as possible, host #50PreciousWords and #50PreciousWordsforKids, travel around the world and launch my three debut picture books, with, as the Beatles so aptly put it, a little help (or, in my case, a lot of help) from my friends.